Who are we?

Welcome to our little corner of creation. I desire this to be a place where we can all come together and learn about life, God and each other no matter our history or what walk of life we come from. A place to share great rides, plan new adventures, discuss obstacles were facing and encourage one another.

That being said, thank you so much for being here. I am genuinely thrilled to have you. I'm Trisha Snider, one of the founders of Saints and Sippers. I am a wife, mother (to 2 amazing little boys), motorcycle enthusiast, coffee addict and adventure seeker. I'm a daughter, a sister, a friend, an historian, a free thinker but more important than all of those great things, I'm a saint.

Seem like a bold statement? I guess culturally, it kinda is. Growing up in the church, I constantly heard 'we're all just sinners saved by grace.' And that is true! We were all once sinners (I being one of the worst), and if you've come to know and accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you have been saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8). But what the church has often failed to emphasize is that we are not just sinners saved by grace.

Look at how Paul describes us in Colossians 1,

"...to God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ: Grace and peace to you from God our Father."

The word “holy” he uses here is the same word used for “saint.” In fact, depending on the translation you choose, the words are used interchangeably. Is Paul correct to describe us sinners as...HOLY?? Holy...as in 'exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness'? Holy as in the description of God Himself? Holy as in set apart and entirely devoted to God and His purposes? Whoa. That doesn't sound like a word we can rightly use to describe a sinner. But, since we know the Bible is the inspired Word of God, then is this how God sees us??

In John chapter 1, verses 12-13, we learn, "Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God." Therefore, once we accepted Jesus into our hearts, He cleansed us and gave us a new identity, We are no longer sinners, but children born of God, infused with His nature, His holiness! We see this again and again all through scripture:

• "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a NEW CREATION; old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17)

• "God made Him who knew no sin to become sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:21)

So if we continue to say that we are “just a sinner saved by grace,” we are saying that our identity is still that of a sinner. But God has made it clear that that's just not true. At the very moment we accepted Jesus, we gave up our identity as a sinner that we inherited at birth and took on the nature of the Holy One through the gift of His perfect son, Jesus. We are now truly saints (who still sometimes sin but that's a conversation for another day).

If you don't think this matters much, let me tell you, it sure does. The distinction between seeing yourself as a sinner or seeing yourself as a saint makes a huge difference in the way you live your life. Because you will act out the way you view yourself. Read that again. You will subconsciously excuse wrong behavior and wrong living because hey, that's just who you are right? WRONG! God has so much more for us as His children than the world could ever afford so why would we not grab onto our new identity with both hands, and leave our past in the rear view.

-Trisha

Lord Jesus, You have given me a new identity. I am not defined as being a sinner any longer. I am a

saint who sometimes sins. I still mess up, but I am a new creation in You. Give me the strength and

courage to recognize this and to begin to live in the victory that it proclaims! In your holy name I

pray, Amen.

( If you want to know more about Jesus and the hope and forgiveness found in Him, please reach out to me at: trisha@saintsandsippers.com. I will talk with you, pray with you, cry with you, and rejoice with you. I will also help you find a local community of believers who can help you to grow in your new life as a son or daughter of the most High. I have a little gift for you too so don't stall! The road ahead is unlike anything you could ever imagine!)